North Carolina offensive lineman Zach Rice commits to transfer to Syracuse

North Carolina Tar Heels offensive lineman Zach Rice has committed to transfer to the Syracuse Orange. He spent the previous three seasons with the Tar Heels.

Coming out of high school at Liberty Christian Academy in Virginia, Rice was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2022, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the 21st-ranked player overall and the first-ranked offensive tackle in that recruiting cycle.

On the field in college, Rice appeared in 20 college games. The majority of those reps have come on special teams, and thanks to only playing in two games as a true freshman he was able to use a redshirt. That gives him two seasons of eligibility remaining in his college career.

Off the field, Rice ran into some issues at North Carolina. In 2024, he reportedly faced charges relating to a fatal car crash. He was not in the car that crashed, but according to then-head coach Mack Brown, he and two other players faced misdemeanor charges. Racing was suspected at the time.

Mack Brown and North Carolina parted ways following the 2024 season. The Tar Heels were coming off a 6-6 regular and they would go on to decide they wanted to make a splash hire. That ended with the Tar Heels bringing in Bill Belichick, the legendary NFL coach. The Tar Heels also then brought in Michael Lombardi to be the program’s new GM.

Now, Zach Rice will turn his attention to Syracuse. The Orange are going into their second season under head coach Fran Brown. 2024, his first season, saw Brown quickly turn the Syracuse program around. A year after going 6-7, he managed to finish 10-3 with a Holiday Bowl win. Now, he’s looking to build on that success.

Part of the success that Brown has found at Syracuse has stemmed from his ability to recruit out of both the high school ranks and the Transfer Portal. Again, in 2025, he’s leaning on the portal. Syracuse currently has the 68th-ranked transfer class in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings. That includes 22 players who have exited the program and 12 who have entered it, though that number doesn’t yet include Zach Rice.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.